There were moments over the last seven years when Alyssa Harvey didn’t think she would ever be walking across the stage at a graduation ceremony to receive her undergraduate degree in biology.
“Taking more than four years to graduate was really hard for me,” Harvey said.
“Everyone has this pressure. It feels like you’ve got to get it done, and if you’re not doing it on the right timeline, then it feels – or at least, it felt at the time – like there’s no point doing it at all. But it’s something very important to me. I’m so glad I stuck with it.”
Not only did she persevere with her studies, returning to school part-time after a period of intense health challenges, she flourished when back at Western.
Harvey achieved the highest grades of her university career, made new friends and took on a job at the Indigenous Student Centre, coordinating an innovative recycling program.
She is one of approximately 8,000 Western students graduating this spring, joining more than 355,000 alumni from more than 160 countries.
The turning point
Harvey credits her service dog, Bailey, as a key part of her success. The special bond between the two helped her navigate university after taking time off. Bailey provided comfort, support and proved to be a great conversation starter with her classmates, too – like the time he perked up after seeing a squirrel on one of her professor’s slides.
“Bailey is my perfect dog. He’s so in tune with me and how I’m feeling. He helps a lot with socializing because everyone wants to talk to the person with a dog,” she said.
“He brings me so much joy. I used to hate wintertime, going outside, it’s so cold. But now it’s my favourite season because he loves the snow. Bailey has made all the difference.” – Alyssa Harvey, biology graduate
Environmental passion
Harvey is graduating with a double major in ecosystem health and environmental science, fields that align perfectly with her interests.
“I’ve always been super passionate about the environment. It started in high school but honestly, even when I was a kid. I’ve always loved animals and nature and I’ve always had this discomfort with how much we waste. I knew I wanted to do something with animals and the environment,” she said.
She considered studying animal behaviour at Western but opted for ecosystem health instead. After taking a geography class focused on climate change, she knew she found the perfect fit in environmental science, so she added a second major.
Harvey now hopes to carve out a career in wildlife conservation.
She’s already worked on an environmental project during her undergraduate studies, taking on the role of plastics and sustainability coordinator at the Indigenous Student Centre. Harvey takes plastic that can’t be recycled, and stuffs it into empty water, pop or juice bottles. It creates a sturdy “eco-brick” that keeps plastic from going to waste and can be used to build structures.
Not everyone understands her desire to save trash, especially when it involves washing and drying pieces of plastic.
“When my friends see me slicing up garbage, they say ‘What are you doing? Just throw it out.’ But I feel just sick sometimes when I see all the trash and litter. This makes me feel better,” Harvey said.
“Too many people don’t realize they can make big changes over time.”
Time to heal
Harvey struggled with her mental health during her time at Western. She experienced severe panic attacks causing her to faint in class. It led to a battle with agoraphobia, an extreme fear of crowded spaces or being away from home.
“It was scary. I never wanted to leave the house because it was embarrassing to pass out. That happened once during a presentation.”
When those challenges developed during her second year, she resisted the idea of stepping back from her degree to recover.
“I’ve always been a very academically driven person. I’m used to being the 95 per cent average kid and just powering through. It was really jarring for me, because I was getting grades I had never seen in my life.”
It left her caught in a cycle. She would enroll in a full course load, then drop out of some subjects halfway through the semester. The pattern continued for several years.
Harvey was in a dark place. Her challenges culminated in 2018 when she tried to take her own life. It forced her to confront the reality: She needed to focus on her health.
“It took me a really long time to just accept I needed to take a break,” she said.
“It’s OK to admit when things are hard. I remember for a long time after my suicide attempt, I didn’t want that second chance, but I had it. Now, I’m so glad. Now I think, ‘Wow, I did it.’”
When she returned to school for the 2020-2021 academic year, she took a part-time course load, and used that approach to finish her degree.
“My transcript got really messy. But I had the best academic counsellor. She always said, ‘We’ll figure this out. Take care of yourself. We’ll get there.’ And we did.”
Finding her way back
Taking her schooling at her own pace was the ticket for Harvey.
“I ended up meeting so many people like me, who were doing things a little slower,” Harvey said.
“I also realized, through talking about my own experiences, I help people. I’ve met a lot of people who really probably never felt like they could talk about this kind of stuff because they never felt comfortable or safe to be vulnerable. That makes me feel really good about the impact I’m leaving. I know the people I’ve interacted with feel more comfortable being themselves and taking care of themselves.”
After returning on a part-time basis, Harvey made new friends and connected with new resources. After a cousin encouraged her to visit the Indigenous Student Centre – Harvey’s mother is Indigenous – it became an important place of comfort and safety.
“I wish I could go back and tell myself, at the start, ‘You don’t have to try to figure it out on your own. There are people who will help you do it.’ That’s a really powerful tool.”
Read more convocation coverage.
IF YOU NEED HELP
Students can access mental health support through Western Health and Wellness. Same-day crisis appointments are available until 4:30p.m. Monday to Friday. After-hours crisis support is also available.
